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Educators From Nixa’s JTSD are Passionate About the Future

John Thomas School of Discovery
Julie Greene / KSMU

The John Thomas School of Discovery was started in Nixa three years ago to serve as a STEAM-focused (STEM with the addition of the Arts) environment.

Dr. Josh Chastain was the first principal of the school and served in that role for three years. He comes to us to discuss the importance of the integration of STEAM into the elementary schools and also the initiative to focus the curriculum on inquiry-based learning.

In his remarks he makes it clear that “The ultimate goal for our kids is to be exceptional learners.”

Dr. David Cornelison has been working as an educator and scientist in Arizona and Missouri universities for the last 32 years. From 2010-2018, he was the head of the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science at Missouri State University. His research interests lie at the intersection of experimental condensed-matter physics and astrophysics, while his educational efforts have focused on outreach to the K-12 school system. Most of all, he believes in curiosity-driven learning in the sciences and all other fields.